One Hundred Consecutive Liver Transplants Using Institutes Georges Lopez-1 Preservation Solution: Outcomes and Prognostic Factors.

BACKGROUND: There are only 4 prior studies reporting on outcomes of liver transplantation (LT) using Institutes Georges Lopez-1 (IGL-1) preservation solution. Detection of negative predictors of LT using IGL-1 may help finding strategies to protect selected recipients at higher risk of graft failure and death. METHODS: Review of all consecutive adult patients who underwent a first whole-graft LT using IGL-1 at authors' institution from 2013 to 2016. Primary end point was graft failure within the first 90 postoperative days (PODs). Graft losses due to any cause (including all deaths with a functioning graft) were recorded as graft failures. RESULTS: Of all 100 patients included in this study, 37 were women; median age was 58 years (range 18-71). There were 12 graft losses during the first 90 PODs (including 3 cases of primary nonfunction of the liver allograft), and 10 of the 12 graft losses occurred on first 30 PODs. All 12 patients who experienced graft loss (including 1 patient who underwent liver retransplantation) died within the first 90 PODs. Of the total 100 patients, 14 experienced biliary complications. Univariate analysis revealed prolonged warm ischemic time (WIT) as the only predictor of 90-day graft failure (odds ratio = 23.5, confidence interval = 1.29-430.18, P = .03). The cutoff by receiver operating characteristic curve for WIT was 38 minutes (area under the curve = 0.70). Positive predictive value for WIT >38 minutes was 94.3%. CONCLUSIONS: LT using IGL-1 can be performed safely. Similar to prior reports on LT using other preservation solutions, prolonged WIT was associated with adverse outcomes.

Effects of hepatitis C virus on cardiovascular risk in infected patients: a comparative study.

The role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the direct effect of HCV on cardiovascular risk and correlate it with pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients with HCV. HCV monoinfected patients, genotype 1, naive, non-obese (BMI<30) and non-diabetics were included and compared to controls (blood donors). Patients with prior diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, chronic renal failure, cancer and chronic use of lipid-lowering drugs or immunosuppressants were excluded. Age, BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic (DBP), fasting glucose and lipid levels were determined. Serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α) and Framingham score were also evaluated. 62 HCV patients, 34 (54.8%) were males and none of them was smoking. The Framingham scores (median and 25th and 75th percentiles) were 12% (6.5-14%), showing an intermediate cardiovascular risk in patients with HCV. There was significant direct correlation between Framingham and total cholesterol (p=0.043) and DBP (p=0.007). HDL-C (p=0.002) was inversely correlated with the Framingham score. HCV patients had higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) compared to controls (p<0.0001) and the relation of proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory TNF-α/IL10 and IL-6/IL10 were higher in HCV patients (p<0.01). The Framingham score was directly correlated to IL-6 and TNF-α, but differences were not statistically significant. Patients with HCV monoinfected, nonobese, naïve and non diabetic have an intermediate cardiovascular risk, as measured by the Framingham score and high levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF).